Reels Ad Script Template: 9, 15 and 30 Second Beats
A Reels ad script template is a beat table: one row per moment, with the time, what’s on screen, the on-screen text, the voiceover and the sound. Write the 30 second cut first, then cut it down to 15 and 9 seconds. The rule that matters most: the first 2 seconds have to work with the sound off, so the hook lives in the on-screen text and the first image, not only in the voiceover. The same template works for TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Stories ads.
What goes into a vertical video ad script?
Every row of the beat table has five columns. Fill all five, even when one is empty on purpose.
| Column | What to write | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Time | The second the beat starts and ends | No timing, so the edit runs long |
| Visual | What the viewer sees: B-roll, product, screen, hands | “Something engaging” instead of a shot |
| On-screen text | The exact words, a few at a time | Full sentences nobody can read in time |
| Voiceover | What is said, if anything | Text and voice saying different things |
| Sound | Music, a sound effect, silence | Leaving it to the editor’s mood |
The script is 9:16, vertical, full screen. Keep the hook and the call to action in the same voice as your organic posts, from your brand voice guidelines, so the ad doesn’t feel like a different company.
How do you hook a muted viewer in 2 seconds?
A lot of people scroll with the sound off, so the opening can’t depend on the voiceover. In the first 2 seconds, three things should agree:
- The first image shows the situation, not a logo or a title card.
- The on-screen text states the hook in a handful of words: the problem, the mistake or the result.
- Movement starts at frame one. A hand reaching, a screen scrolling, a pan. A still opening reads as an ad before it reads as anything else.
Test it: watch the first 2 seconds muted, then ask whether a stranger knows what the ad is about. If not, rewrite the text or the first shot before you touch anything else.
What does a 9 second ad script look like?
Nine seconds holds one idea and one ask. Use it for retargeting or for a product people already half know.
| Time | Visual | On-screen text | Voiceover | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 2 s | The problem in one shot | The hook, a few words | Optional, same as the text | Music starts on frame one |
| 2 to 6 s | The product solving it | The one benefit | One sentence | Music |
| 6 to 9 s | Product or offer on screen | The CTA | The CTA | Music resolves |
What does a 15 second ad script look like?
Fifteen seconds adds one piece of proof. It’s the cut most people should test first.
| Time | Visual | On-screen text | Voiceover | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 2 s | The problem in one shot | The hook | Hook line | Music or a sharp sound |
| 2 to 6 s | Why the usual fix fails | The objection, short | One sentence | Music |
| 6 to 11 s | The product in use | The mechanism: how it works | Two short sentences | Music |
| 11 to 13 s | Proof: a screen, a result you can show | The proof, short | One line | Music |
| 13 to 15 s | Offer on screen | The CTA | The CTA | Music resolves |
What does a 30 second ad script look like?
Thirty seconds has room for a short story: the situation, the turn, the proof and the offer. Re-hook in the middle so the viewer has a reason to stay.
| Time | Visual | On-screen text | Voiceover | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 2 s | The problem in one shot | The hook | Hook line | Music or a sharp sound |
| 2 to 7 s | The situation the buyer knows | A line in their words | Two sentences | Music |
| 7 to 12 s | What they tried and why it failed | The objection | Two sentences | Music |
| 12 to 14 s | A change of shot | The re-hook: “Here’s the fix” | One line | Beat drop or a pause |
| 14 to 22 s | The product in use, step by step | One step per cut | The mechanism | Music |
| 22 to 26 s | Proof you can show | The proof | One line | Music |
| 26 to 30 s | Offer on screen | The CTA | The CTA and where to tap | Music resolves |
Then cut down: drop the “what they tried” row for 15 seconds, and keep only hook, benefit and CTA for 9. Each cut should still make sense on its own.
The proof rows only hold what you can show. A screen recording of the product, a real message from a customer with their permission, a result from your own records. If you have no proof yet, use the time for the mechanism instead.
Can you make a video ad without showing your face?
Yes. Four faceless modes cover most products, and each one changes what the visual column holds:
| Mode | What the visual column holds | Works best for |
|---|---|---|
| B-roll and text | Stock or your own clips, with the story in on-screen text | Lifestyle and physical products |
| Voiceover | B-roll or product shots under a recorded voice | Explaining a mechanism |
| Screen recording | The product on a screen, scrolling and clicking | Apps, templates, digital products |
| Hands | Hands using the product, from above or over the shoulder | Physical products and printables |
The same modes work for organic video, so if you already run a faceless Instagram account or a faceless YouTube channel, you have the footage habits already. For longer scripts, the YouTube script template uses the same idea of beats and re-hooks.
Where are the safe zones on Reels and TikTok?
Both apps draw their own interface over a vertical ad: the account name and caption near the bottom, buttons along the right side, and labels near the top. Anything under them is hidden or hard to read.
- Keep the hook text and the CTA in the middle of the frame, away from the bottom and the right edge.
- Keep faces, products and text away from the very top.
- Check the current safe-zone guidance on Meta’s and TikTok’s own help pages before you export. The interfaces change, so treat any fixed number you saw last year as out of date.
- Preview the ad in the ad manager’s placement preview, not only in your editor.
FAQ
Can one script run on Reels, TikTok and Shorts? Yes, as a starting point. Adjust the on-screen text placement for each app’s interface and check each platform’s current length and caption limits.
Should I add captions to the voiceover? Yes. On-screen text and captions carry the ad for people watching muted.
How many versions should I test? A few at once, each differing in hook or angle, not in music or color. Change one thing per version so you know what made the difference.
Do I need a trending sound? No. For ads, check that you have the rights to the audio. A licensed track or your own voiceover is safer than a sound you found in the app.
Can AI write the script? Yes, if it has your brand file, your proof and the offer. Without them it writes generic hooks and invents proof.
Get every video ad in three cuts, ready to film. The Ads module writes vertical video ad scripts for Reels, TikTok, Shorts and Stories in 9, 15 and 30 second cuts, with a hook that works on mute, faceless modes, captions and B-roll prompts, and it checks each one before upload. It also writes static ads from a JSON prompt. It writes the script; it doesn’t film, edit or run the ads. See the Ads module or see pricing.